UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Nov 15

Nov 15 (Reuters) - Britain’s FTSE 100 index is seen opening 28 points lower at 7,006 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers, with FTSE 100 futures expected to be up 0.44 percent ahead of the cash market open.

* Intermediate Capital Group: British asset manager Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) on Thursday posted a 17 percent increase in first-half assets on the back of strong inflows of new money from clients.

* Premier Oil: Premier Oil said on Thursday it expected its full-year production to come in at the low end of a previously announced 80,000 to 85,000 barrels per day range with its closely-watched debt pile to shrink to $2.4 billion by year-end.

* Royal Mail: Royal Mail Plc’s first-half profit dropped about 25 percent as the post and parcels company failed to cut enough costs in the UK and margins came under pressure at its fast-growing European business.

* 3i: Private equity firm 3i on Thursday posted a total return of 728 million pounds ($947.56 million) over the first half, up 11 percent from the same period of 2017, boosted by gains on some of its larger investments.

* Bovis Homes: Bovis Homes Group Plc said on Thursday the uncertainty surrounding Britain’s exit from the European Union had impacted discretionary buyers and the homebuilder had increased its use of part exchange deals in the second half of the year.

* TBC Bank: TBC Bank Group Plc, Georgia’s largest retail bank, reported a 23.7 percent jump in quarterly profit on Thursday, as it grew its loan book on the back of strong economic growth in the country.

* Investec: South African financial services group Investec, reported a 14.2 percent rise in half-year profit on Thursday buoyed by its banking unit.

* VODAFONE: Vodafone may replicate elements of its British mobile towers joint venture in other markets but not necessarily to the extent of sharing radio equipment in major cities, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

* GOLD: Gold prices held steady on Thursday, after rising nearly a percent in the previous session, as the dollar retreated further from a 16-month peak against a basket of currencies.

* OIL: Oil prices slipped on Thursday, weighed down by rising supply going into a market in which consumption is expected to slow down amid a glum economic outlook.

* EX-DIVS: Bunzl, Glaxosmithkline, Marks and Spencer , Royal Dutch Shell, J Sainsbury and Scott Mortgage Investment Trust will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 16.2 points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations.

* The UK blue chip index ended 0.3 percent lower on Wednesday as mining shares and oil majors sold off amid growing anxiety that global growth was slowing, though a late rally in gambling stocks offset some of the slide.

* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets

TODAY’S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

> Other business headlines (Reporting by Tanishaa Nadkar in Bengaluru)